Plamena Emilova Mileva
I was born in the Black Sea city of Varna, Bulgaria.
In 2001 I graduated with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the university of Veliko Tarnovo “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”.
Many of my photos are taken via apnea in the Black Sea of Bulgaria and the Aegean Sea in Greece and Turkey.
September, 2010 I shot my first underwater photography with my newborn baby, when he had only 3 months old.
In January 2014 right before a diving excursion in Egypt, I became diver certified, to be followed later by an advanced diving degree in Greece.
2015 will remain an especially important, almost emblematic year for me. In the beginning of April, I went in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. There I shot one of my best underwater photos.
My deepest underwater shooting I made at 32,70 m. in front of the submerged statue of the Virgen del Carmen, Tenerife island.
In December 2015 I returned to my beloved Bulgaria and continue to work and convey my passion for underwater photography.
Today my underwater photography is mainly related to the human model and won one of the most prestigious underwater prizes in the world competitions.
Plamena’s Prizes and Rewards
2008, award-winning for debut at the Varna International Photographic Saloon
May 2009 in the contest “All for the Sea”, special prize of Photosynthesis, Varna, Bulgaria
June 2011, Competition organized by Diving BG, most artistic underwater photograph.
December 2013, First place in the prestigious competition Ocean Art Contest, Fashion & Divers category
May 2014, Second place in the Scubacam festival, category Photography of Model
2014 September 7-13, Eilat Red Sea World Underwater Photography Competition
-Third place in the category Fish and Fashion
-Award of the Mayor of Eilat + cover next catalog.
2015 gold medal winner in the anual awards of underwaterphotography.com, section fashion
2015 third place in the contest UW Maraton, Zagreb, Croatia – section Ambient with or without model, DSLR camera, photography “Impression in red”
2015, 2nd Underwater photography Contest Without Borders, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
First place DSLR White angle, photography “A love encounter”
Second place DSLR Macro, photography “Green way”
2015, PSA Silver in 8th INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON VARNA, photography “Stingray Attack”
2015, 3rd prize in MARMARA FESTIVAL, Turkey, BLACK & WHITE category
2016 Blu Cobalto Academi underwater contest
- second place in category Wideangle with photography “Lost Galaxies“
- best of the show with photograph ”Fusion“
2016 bronze medal winner in the anual awards of underwaterphotography.com, Fashion category
2016 first place in the contest UW MARATON, Zagreb, Croatia, Fashion category, DSLR camera
2016 PSA Gold in 2nd International salon of print and digital art photography Varna, photography “The Last dance”
Digital category
2016, FIAP Bronze in 9th INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON VARNA, photography “I can Fly” Nature category
GPU Honorable mention, photography “The cage” Open Color category
FIAP Honorable mention, photography “Fusion” Monochrome category
2016 MARMARA FESTIVAL, Turkey
- first place – Thematic category
- second place – Wideangle with “Planet turtles”
- third place – Portfolio
2016 second place in Mare Nordest contest, Italy, Diver/Fashion category, photography ”Last Dance”
2016 CITTA DI SIENA, Italy
- first place – Wideangle category with “Turtles Planet”
- first place – Creative category Orbital Maritime I
- second place – Creative category Orbital Maritime II
2016 ABYSS, CITY OF VENICE, Italy
- first place – Reflex Tropical Wideangle category with “Turtles Planet”
- second place – Underwater Photo Set – photography “The Kiss”
2016 PSA Gold in 2nd International Salon of print and digital art photography Varna, photography “The Last Dance”
Digital category
2016, FIAP Bronze in 9th INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON VARNA, photography “I Can Fly” Nature category
GPU Honorable mention, photography “The cage” Open Color category
FIAP Honorable mention, photography “Fusion” Monochrome category
2017 BluCobalto Academi underwater contest
- first place with photography – “Orbital Maritime”, Creative category
- second place with photography – “Cradle of love”, Creative category
2017 second place in the contest UW MARATON, Zagreb, Croatia, Best destination category, DSLR camera
2017 third place in Mare Nordest contest, Italy, Diver/Fashion category, photography “The cage”
2017 second place in Underwater Photography Contest Without Borders, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, photography “Flying”
2017 first place in Festival International du Monde Marin, Hyères, France in the Creative category, photography “Night lights jellyfish mystique”
2018 winner in the annual awards of underwaterphotography.com,
- gold medal, Fashion category, photography “Cradle of Love”
- gold medal, Wide angle category, photography “Eagle Rey”
2018 gold medal, Scubashuters underwater competition, Italy, wide angle category “Portrait of a Green Turtle”
2019 second place in Shootout World underwater competition, Fashion category (award ceremony in Boot Show Dusseldorf), photographs set of 3 images
2019 Blu Cobalto Photo Academy Awards, Genoa, Italy
-1 place, wide angle category “Eagle Ray”
- third place, fashion category, “Sleeping beauty”
2019 gold medal SIAS, Bologna, Italy
2019 honorable mentions in Scuba Diving magazine for my Macro photographs:
• Crystal teeth morаy
• Green universe
2020 third place in Shootout World Underwater Competition, Fashion category, photographs set of 3 images
2020 gold medal Underwater Photo Marathon, Fashion Compact Category, “Underwater Heart”
2020 first place Ocean Geographic contest, Black & Blue category, ¨ Small Universe¨, Subject: Pyrosoma atlanticum
2021 silver medal Underwater Photo Marathon, Fashion Compact Category
¨Sensual¨ (UW photo with MilitsaL )
2021 Best UW Woman Photographer, CIMASUB Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
photographs set of 5 images
2022 Best UW Woman Photographer, CIMASUB Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
photographs set of 5 images (second year in a row)
2022 third place Ocean Art Contest Black&White category, “The Restlessness of Condemned Soul “
2023 second place UWArt, Art Category
2023 ADEX, Ocean Mission, Underwater Fashion Photo of The Year
UW photography Exhibitions
September, 2011, at the Photovacantion in Primorsko city, Bulgaria „Underwater mirror”- solo exhibition
May, 2012, Varna, gallery Yukka, Bulgaria, “Underwater Woman”- solo exhibition
Jun, 2012, City Art Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria, “Underwater Woman”- an accompanying exhibition at the International Photographic Salon, Varna
January 2016, City Art Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria, “Tenerife – “Underwater Paradise” – joint exhibitions with Julian Nedev
Jun 2016, Photosynthesis Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria – “Underwater Paradise” – joint exhibitions
September 2016, Sea Casino Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria – “Underwater Paradise” – joint exhibitions
August 2017, Villa Alba, Momchilovci, Bulgaria – “The world of underwater silence” joint exhibitions with Julian Nedev